Hate might seem like something that divides, but for some people, it can bring them together.
In Pennsylvania and across the U.S., more people are being united in organizations identified as hate groups.
The Southern Poverty Law Center tracks these groups in the U.S., currently listing 917 on their website. Take a look at the map and you’ll see 40 in the Keystone State, fifth place behind California (79), Florida (63), Texas (55) and New York (47).
According to the SPLC, the number of hate groups across the country has been on the rise since 2015, increasing from 892 that year to 917 in 2016. The number includes a 197 percent rise in anti-Muslim groups
The list of hate groups in Pennsylvania includes seven different Ku Klux Klan chapters, but that’s not all. There are four neo-Nazi groups, six racist skinhead organizations and six more that identify as white nationalist.